Rwanda hosts Command Post Exercise Shared Accord 2018

Bugesera, 14th August 2018

The Rwanda Defence Force is hosting a Command Post Exercise (CPX) and a Medical Readiness Exercise (MEDRETE) ‘Shared Accord 2018’ (SA18) from 14th to 29th August 2018 in Rwanda Military Academy – Gako. The exercise is conducted in partnership with the United States Military, European Union and East African nations with other International Organizations.

Shared Accord is a military exercise focusing on African partner capability and interoperability in support of a United Nations/African Union Peace Keeping Operations (PKO). The exercise seeks to assess abilities of participants in conducting PKO and to enhance positive bilateral and regional relationships in austere environments with coalition partners.

In his key remarks while opening the multinational and multidimensional Command Post Exercise, the RDF Chief of Defence Staff, General Partick Nyamvumba stressed that the work of peacekeepers requires skills and experience. “The discharge of our tasks as peacekeepers calls for experience and lessons learnt, sharing mutual understanding but more importantly commitment and resolve to act professionally. While this is already taking place at different levels and through various frameworks, there is still room for further improvement. I believe exercise Shared Accord 18 is one of the avenues to this effect,” said General Nyamvumba.

The training exercise helps build partnership with U.S. Army Africa (USARAF) and East African Military Forces. It is designed to help participants improve their capability to respond to regional security threats posed by Violent Extremist Organizations (VEOs), and to more effectively counter the associated ideology.

Brigadier General Lapthe C. Flora, the Co-Exercise Director and US representative noted that exercise will include about 100 scenarios related to conducting peacekeeping operations during the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA).

Participants include Government personnel from Angola, Botswana, Gabon, Germany, Madagascar, Malawi, Morocco, Netherlands, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, United States and Zambia as well as the international organizations; the United Nations (UN) and International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC).